Leo Thibodeau

Obituary of Leo Thomas Thibodeau

Leo Thomas Thibodeau passed to his heavenly Father on Thursday, March 25, 2021.  Born ninth of 13 children, Sanford Maine September 25, 1930, to Ernest Edmund and Helen Moreau Thibodeau. Leo’s life was to serve his God, his country, his family and community.  Loving husband of nearly 65 years to Mary Ellen Thibodeau; proud father to Theresa R. Bartis (John), Robert L. Thibodeau (Lynne), Joseph E. Thibodeau (Debra), Michelle R. Kaihara (Gary), Mark A. Thibodeau (Gale), Daniel T. Thibodeau (Melissa) and Patricia A. Vanegas (Juan); loving and very proud grandfather to Katie Savoie (Eric Savoie), Elyse (deceased), Cameron M. Kaihara (Morgan), Christen E. Loy (Michael), Jordan K. Kaihara, Adrian E. Hernandez, Sarah M. Jespersen (Ryan), Carolyn M. Thibodeau, Tyler K. Kaihara, Jacob P. Thibodeau, Jonathan T. Thibodeau, Abigail C. Martin (Shane), Christopher Thibodeau, Lee T. Thibodeau, Elizabeth N. Thibodeau, James A. (Alex) Thibodeau, Kimberly A. Thibodeau, Mateo A. Vanegas, Mason R. Thibodeau, Olivia I. Clark and Naida L. Clark; and a very proud great grandfather to Clementine Favoie and Liam K. Kaihara.  He is also survived by his sisters Ernestine Lovell and Claire Garrity, and many nieces, nephews and great, great-great nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his siblings Alma Morin, Cecile Brown, Henry Thibodeau, Kay Thibodeau, Lucille Thibodeau, Sr Martha Thibodeau, Pete Thibodeau, Phillip Thibodeau, Rose Deverenne and Ruth Barbarie.

 

During his lifetime he served our country from 1947 to 1953 first in the U.S. Army Air Corp then the U.S. Army in France.  He served the Church, restoring much of St James Catholic Church – ensuring that the ceiling would not fall on his beloved Monseigneur Heller’s head.  He employed over 50 people over the years in his building and cabinetry companies, he loved working with his hands and finding faster and easier methods to create beautiful and useful items in wood.  He won many awards for his building accomplishments, including one from the American Institute of Architects.  He served as President of the Northern Virginia Builders Association and, was a founding member of the FAXVO where he served President and Board Member for many years teaching high school students the building trades.  He was also an active member with the Associated Builders and Contractors, Christian Businessmen’s Connection (CBMC), and the Ford Model A Club with his pride and joy 1930.

 

Following retirement, he loved working at The Home Depot where he shared his experience and knowledge with customers from as young as five years old.  He also spent many hours designing and creating wooden segmented bowls – he has shared those bowls with many loved ones who cherish them.  Leo was also known for his story-telling, harmonica playing and laughs; his family remembers many stories of his childhood getting into mischief by flooding the street to float a boat with him in it, adding ice skate blades to a boat and crashing it into the frozen pond, or blowing a fuse when running his “fix-it shop”.

 

A Christian Burial Mass will be held at St James Catholic Church, 103 N Spring Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 on Friday, April 9, 2021 at 10 am.  Interment to follow at St. James Cemetery.   In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions may be gifted to the Calvert Hospice (calverthospice.org), St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) or St James Catholic Church. Arrangements by Advent Funeral Services, 703-241-7402.


 

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Friday
9
April

Mass of Christian Burial

10:00 am - 11:00 am
Friday, April 9, 2021
St. James Catholic Church
905 Park Avenue
Falls Church, Virginia, United States
703-532-8815
Friday
9
April

Graveside Service

11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Friday, April 9, 2021
St. James Catholic Cemetery
Corner of West & Fowler Streets
Falls Church, Virginia, United States
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